| We've had an opportunity
to work on a lot of homes. Roofs and gutter decisions
are generally pretty easy...damage, wear, and leaks have to
be attended to. But one of the tougher questions to
answer is whether siding is a wise choice for your home.
Our general answer is a resounding
"Yes!" Siding used to be regarded as a bit "tacky".
Not any more. Due to the technological advances in
siding, the financial and aesthetic advantages are now
overwhelming (I speak mostly to vinyl siding below).
But the information out to homeowners on these advances has
been lacking, which has caused some lingering doubts.
With that, we've put together a quick list of reasons for
adding siding. If you can think of others or can "poke
holes" in this list, please share with us at
giovanni.iroof@gmail.com. Thanks.
1) Siding looks great. No
longer tacky, siding looks at least as good as new building
material. It comes in as many styles and colors as you
can dream up. It can be chosen to fit the surrounding
environment and not only complements but
 enhances
the entire neighborhood. If you enjoy the look of
wood, but don't want the hassles and costs associated with
maintaining it, siding can mimic the look of wood siding
easily. There are several design options including
horizontal and vertical siding; wide and narrow panel
exposures; traditional clapboard; and authentically detailed
shaped sidings...just to name a few.
2)
Siding is mostly maintenance free.
I sometimes hear siding companies tell customers that
they'll never have to do thing once they install it.
That's just not accurate. While it's true that you
won't have to paint it anymore, over time you'll need to
have it cleaned from time to time. But for the most
part, and certainly for the first few years, you won't have
to do anything to this part of the house. No worrying
over dents, chips or weather damage...and no re-painting.
This is great time to spend on other areas of life!
3) Siding is
extremely durable. While you really can't
beat brick or stone for durability (think of the big bad
wolf), siding weathers the weather better than just about
any other material. The only reason you'll need to
maintain will be to clean off residue that may accumulate
over time. In terms of the type of siding, vinyl is
the king...with a longer life span than both aluminum
and wood. There's nothing like knowing that you don't have
to keep up with that area of the house much anymore.
4) Siding is
adaptable. Whatever architectural style or
material is on your house now, siding can replace and/or
enhance the look...for a smooth transition. This
includes architectural elements such as soffits, fascia and
corner boards. Instead of "your house looks completely
different", you'll likely get the feedback, "I don't know
what you've done, but your house looks great".
 5)
Siding is financially smart.
There are a couple solid financial benefits of
going with siding. Considering that a paint job is
about $3-$5k every 3 to 4 years, a siding job could break
even in about that period of time (particularly if you need
one soon!) To determine when the exact breakeven point
for you would be, calculate the estimated amount of each
paint job and when you can expect to make them, then
subtract the price of the one-time siding work.
In terms of adding value, most
authorities believe that siding is the best option (over
bathroom or kitchen remodel) due to its high visibility.
Buyers will be attracted to the looks as well as the
durability (25 to 50 years of relatively free maintenance.)
Most believe that you can get back all of the money you put
into siding once you go to sell.
All in all, as a general rule of
thumb...if you're planning on staying in the home for more
than about 4-5 years, then siding is a wise decision for
both maintenance and value. But if you plan on moving
in the next few years, the benefits would fall more toward
the buyers.
Have we left any out?
Let us know.
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